How Things Have Changes
by Azoki
Summary: It has been three years since μ disbanded. The former idols were now all in university, getting themselves prepared for the future. It has been over a year since Maki Nishikino 'disappeared'. In her third year of high school, Maki Nishikino was suddenly gone without a word to anyone. What happens when she returns? Secrets are revealed and relationships both form and crumble.
1. Prologue

It has been three years since the disbanding of μ and many things had slowly changed since then.

When the third years had finally graduated and μ was officially over, most of the remaining members continued to be school idols, singing and dancing passionately on stages. However, this wasn't the case for one particular member. Maki Nishikino had stopped being a school idol in her second year of high school.

She still kept her friends who were always trying to change her mind and she still wrote compositions for their songs. She just no longer had time for being a school idol. So focusing on her studies, the year passed quickly. Once again, the third year students had graduated.

Strangely, Maki found herself as the student council president during her third year while the other two remaining μ members found themselves busy with being the leader of the new school idol group and president of the school idol research club.

Despite how close they had been, she couldn't help but notice how she had drifted away from her friends. They knew it, too. It wasn't hard to notice after all. It was in the small things. The way they no longer ate lunch together and only talked when they briefly passed each other in the halls. You could see it through how the longest conversation they had in months was the exchange of pleasantries. However, before they could do anything about it, the student council president had vanished.

By the third trimester, it seemed Maki Nishikino was no longer a student at Otonokizaka high school. It was unclear how exactly Maki left, but it truly was like she disappeared from existence. The two left behind were saddened, greatly so, but in the end, continued on and eventually graduated themselves.

Whether it was fate or pure coincidence, the eight members of the former popular school idol group found themselves attending the same university, albeit with different majors. All of them were overjoyed to be able to spend time with each other once again. Thus another year passed.

It has been three years since μ disbanded and little over a year since Maki Nishikino 'disappeared'. However, soon they will realize that a reunion between ALL of the group was soon to come. Just maybe not how they expected.

* * *

 **Hello! So this is my first fanfiction I'm rather new to this all so please bear with me as I actually (hopefully) start to improve at writing, rather than the usual mess that is my style. I know it's rather short, but this is only the prologue. I promise the chapters are definitely longer than this. Well, hope you enjoyed!**


	2. Chapter 1 - The Reunion

**So Chapter 1, here it is. First things first, I just wanted to get something out the way.**

 **For anything related to the university system that comes up, I will be using a more western system, as that is what I am more familiar with, though not entirely. I'm not really sure if universities and colleges work differently in Japan so I just wanted you all to know this.**

 **Second thing is just in case I didn't explain the ages and university years clearly enough, it goes like this:**

 **Nozomi, Nico - 22 (4th year)**

 **Eli - 21 (4th year)**

 **Honoka, Kotori, Umi - 21 (3rd year)**

 **Hanayo, Maki - 20 (2nd year)**

 **Rin - 19 (2nd year)**

 **I based their ages on their actual birthdays so I'm pretty sure this should be right. Anyways, just wanted to make sure that everything was cleared up before I started getting complaints. Hope you all enjoy!**

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Chapter 1

The Reunion

As Eli walked to the courtyard after all of her classes ended, she couldn't help but think about how peaceful the first day of classes had been. The first trimester of her fourth year was finally beginning.

After graduating, Eli had decided to study business management and economics, wanting a job in enterprising. It just seemed best for her. On top of aiming for a bachelor degree in commerce, she also was getting a minor in accounting.

But like a calm before a storm, everything was tranquil until she saw her friends, all gathered around a bench underneath a large tree. Not to say they were chaotic of sorts, they just tended to be...rather loud and outgoing in their own unique way.

When Eli reached the group, she couldn't but smile a bit as she saw the defeated looks of Honoka and Nico, the two slumped over the benches. Though she already had it figured out, she couldn't help but ask Nozomi what happened.

Nozomi always had a talent for art. She always did have a sense for the more spiritual things. That's probably why Nozomi had went for an arts major. However, she had also decided to have economics as her minor, though she would never tell Eli why.

In response to the question asked, Nozomi just gave her a small look of pity towards their two lifeless looking friends before turning to the blond.

"You know how it is, first day of classes and all." Eli also looked at her friends in pity, completely understanding what Nozomi meant. Honoka and Nico had never been the...brightest.

Honoka had decided to become a teacher, believe it or not. She said she had wanted to inspire students to follow their dreams, like she had with μ. So she had decided to major in secondary education and was now starting her third year.

On the other hand, Nico has always wanted to go into the idol business as an actual idol. However, as she talked it over with several different people, she realized that she'd need a backup plan. Even if Nico did become an idol, it probably wouldn't be a long lasting career. After all, who's ever seen an idol older that 30? So deciding to major in economics and accounting in her second year, Nico planned to hopefully start a talent agency whenever her own idol career ended.

Eli watched a certain ash brown-haired girl make her way to benches and gently tap her childhood friend's shoulder.

"Honoka-chan, are you okay?" Kotori asked in a somewhat worried voice.

As expected, Kotori had decided to major in what she has loved doing for the longest time. She decided to major in fashion design and thanks to the experience creating μ's several idol outfits, she was actually near the top of her classes.

Honoka looked up at her childhood friend, eyes filled with tears. She let out a cry before wrapping her arms dramatically around Kotori.

"Kotori-chan!"

Kotori gently patted Honoka's back. She couldn't but smile a bit at her friend's antics. "There, there."

Beside them, the third member of the childhood friend trio just sighed.

"Honestly Honoka, I have warned you several times that university is not as easy as you think. We are in our third year now."

Umi, while not really needing any sort of further education because of her family dojo, had decided to major in english. After all, she had found a love for writing ever since she joined μ and started songwriting. Luckily, her family supported her decision to continue her education and so here she was.

The orange-haired girl quickly dropped her dramatic crying before looking somewhat sheepish. With a hand scratching the back of her head, Honoka let out a small nervous laugh before being glared at by Umi. Trying to avoid looking into the blue haired girl's eyes, Honoka quickly changed the topic.

"Hey Nico-chan, you still alive?"

No movement.

"Don't worry. Nico-chi will be back to being her normal self in no time. Her mind is just overloaded after slacking off all break."

Nico's eyebrow twitched at Nozomi's comment.

"Who said I was slacking off?"

Nozomi smiled. "See?"

Eli chuckled before she took a quick look at everyone, realizing that not all of their group was present yet.

"Where's Hanayo and Rin?" She asked her friends.

It was Umi who answered.

"They said they would meet up with us in a bit. Apparently, the two wished to explore some of the different clubs this year." Nodding, Eli continued talking with her friends.

Rin had truly surprised all of them with her major. After boosting her grades up greatly in her third year of high school, Rin had decided to major in animal science, hoping to become a veterinarian. It was a tough field and yet Rin, while not at the top of her classes, had managed relatively good marks.

Thus why the idiot trio had became the idiot duo, much to chagrin of Honoka and Nico.

Hanayo, while unusual, was not as unexpected. Based on her love for white rice, she had decided to go into the culinary arts as a major. On top of that, she also had a minor in hospitality management. It seemed that Hanyo wanted to eventually open a family restaurant of her own, with the main dish being white rice.

After a couple minutes, true to their word, everyone turned around when they heard two people calling out to them, only to see Rin half dragging her friend and running towards them.

"Rin-chan! Hanayo-chan!" Honoka leaped towards them and hugged the two tightly. The group was now all together. Yet Eli couldn't help but think _'Now there's only one person missing.'_ But she dismissed the thought before turning her attention back to her friends.

She watched as the three women giggled and stepped out of the hug. Honoka moved beside her two childhood friends as Hanayo and Rin added themselves into the group.

"So how were the clubs this year? Any interesting ones?" Kotori asked the new arrivals. Rin let out a big smile.

"Yup! They all seem amazing-nya! There's a lot of other clubs we want to try seeing before we decide to join any though."

"Well I'm sure you'll have a lot time to look around more. After all, you two are staying in the dorms together this year, right?" Eli knew that the two had decided to move in the dorms together, similar to how she and Nozomi had also done in their first year. Though now they had a small apartment not too far away from the university.

 _'Earning money for that place had been hell, though.'_ Eli thought as she shivered, recalling the bad memories of her balancing several part time jobs with her studies, always getting little to no sleep. According to Honoka, she looked like a vampire, and not the hot sparkly kind. Unlike her and Nozomi, Honoka, Umi, and Kotori all lived fairly close to the university, letting them commute by walking. While blunt and somewhat rude, Eli knew the statement was true. Finally though, between Eli's several part time jobs and Nozomi's own share of work, the two were able to buy a small apartment that they now called home.

"Yes. Since our homes are kinda far from here, we figured it would be easier for both of us if we just stayed in the dorms." Hanayo said as she slightly blushed, confirming what Eli had said. Rin only grinned brightly.

Eli looked at Hanayo. She sure hoped that the sweet girl won't have to go through the same thing she did.

So, the conversation continued. They all talked about how their classes had been and told some stories from over the break. Somehow Honoka had managed trip on literally nothing while she was dramatically reenacting the story she was trying - and failing- to tell.

Eli laughed with everyone else as Umi and Kotori helped their friend back up, not entirely hiding their smiles either.

"You know, it's moments like these that make me feel like we're back in high school. The nine of us on the rooftop, just having fun." Honoka said cheerfully. But despite the happy tone, the air around the group suddenly went cold.

All of them suddenly turned their heads in different directions, trying not to make eye contact with anyone else. Honoka's own eyes widened as she realized what she just said.

"I guess it's not really the nine of us anymore, huh?" There was an unusual hint of sadness in her voice as she spoke. "Sorry."

Yes, it was no longer the nine of them. A year and three months ago, one of the members of their group had suddenly vanished from all of their lives. No message, no letter, just gone. They had all tried to find her in their own ways, but found nothing. Even the house had been sold to another owner. In the end, all of them were forced to give up and move on with their lives.

This left a bitter taste in their mouths as they couldn't help but feel all these conflicting emotions: worry guilt, sadness, anger, and unfortunately, betrayal. It was a touchy subject and they all had an unspoken rule to not bring it up.

Before anyone could say anything else though, loud shrieking and high-pitched screams filled the air. Previously being school idols, the eight females were very familiar with these unnatural sounding yells. These were not yells of horror or fear. No, these were fangirl screams.

Looking towards the source of these sounds, the former school idols saw a crowd of females surrounding someone, though they were unsure of who. Looking more closely, Eli could've sworn she saw a glimpse of a familiar shade of red hair, but she quickly pushed the thought out of her head. _'That can't be possible.'_ she thought. After all, _she_ had been gone for over a year now.

Nico, on the other hand, wasn't thinking as reasonably as the her friend. She also glimpsed a bit of the recognizable red hair. As soon as her brain registered what she just saw, she dashed right into the crowd.

The others looked at her in shock as the Nico ran to what could possibly be her demise. They knew what fans - particularly fangirls - were capable of.

"Nico-chi?!" "Nico-chan?!" "Nico?!" Eli and the others all called out as they watched the black haired girl disappear in the crowd.

* * *

Nico was sure of what she saw.

She wouldn't mistake that red hair for anything else in the world.

She couldn't believe it when her underclassmen had told her that the remaining member of their group had 'disappeared'. She doesn't really remember much of what Hanayo and Rin said after that. Nico was too shocked at the news that _she_ was gone, not a single word to anyone of where she was going. Not a single word to her.

Well, not on her watch. If Nico's gut feeling was right (and it usually is...more or less half the time...), she just knew that the person at the center of this mob had a lot of explaining to do.

Fate seemed to be smiling upon on her as she swiftly made her way closer to the front with little resistance. Perhaps always sneaking out to all those idol events and being quite the fangirl herself was starting to pay off in its own way. Eventually, Nico finally reached the front, only to be pushed right into the middle of the crowd.

Landing on her knees and hands, Nico and rubbed the back of her head and slowly opened her eyes, only to see a pair of black flats. When she looked up to see who they belonged to, her mouth opened and closed several times in disbelief, before just deciding to stay with her jaw down.

It seemed her gut was right after all. Standing in front of her was the one and only, Maki Nishikino.


	3. Chapter 2 - Looking into Her Eyes

**Hey! So second chapter! Just for those who are curious as to what the pairings are for this fic, I have to be honest, it's still undecided. Unfortunately, I'm not really sure where to go with this in terms of couples or if I should even add them in. If I do, there is a plot involving some unexpected pairings I'm thinking of, but ultimately, I'm not really sure who will end up with just in case, a pairing you don't like comes up, don't think it's the final result. I may take a vote in the end to decide, but that's only if I can't think of anything else.**

 **I also realized that I don't have a disclaimer, but I think it's pretty obvious I don't own the franchise. This will also be the only time I use a disclaimer, but it is implied for future chapters.**

 **Thank you to all who have reviewed, followed an favourited this story. I hope I don't let you down with my writing. They are all appreciated and it makes me really happy to see even one person read this. Enjoy the next chapter!**

 ***I'm so sorry to all. This is an update, but for some reason my computer decided to put it all in code. Thanks to for telling me about this. I promise to try and be more careful of mistakes like these in the future.**

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Chapter 2

Looking Into Her Eyes

Nico looked at the person in front of her in disbelief. Yes, she had suspected it, but subconsciously, even she knew the likelihood of it actually being her was little to zero. Yet there she was, at Otonokizaka University, surrounded by admirers.

There was Nishikino Maki, in all her glory.

She hadn't changed too much from when they last saw her, but Nico noticed the little changes. The way Maki's hair had grown longer and was know put in a loose ponytail to the side. The way that she towered over her, more than she used to. Little changes that Nico couldn't help but notice as she gaped in shock at the person in front of her. However, the biggest change Nico saw was the redhead's eyes.

They seemed so cold, as if something was constantly sucking the life out of them. There was no warmth in those eyes, she realized, as the petite girl felt a shiver in her spine. They looked at Nico with an indifferent gaze. The more she stared into those amethyst orbs of frozen ice, the more she felt herself freeze, unable to look away from the icy gaze.

 _'They're so lonely...'_ Nico thought as she lost herself in the cold, violet eyes

But Nico was quickly snapped out of her daze when she heard the girl in front of her quietly whisper quietly in disbelief, her cold eyes widening slightly. It was loud enough that her ears could hear, but so quiet that none of the people surrounding them even noticed Maki's lips moving.

"Nico-chan?"

Oh god, how she had missed that voice. She wanted to just grab and hug the other girl, despite how uncommon and unusual it would've been with the sort of relationship they had in high school.

Unfortunately though, not even Maki's voice could entirely block out the sound of several fangirls calling for the redhead's attention. Nico made a decision in that short moment.

Slowly getting up, Nico found herself still looking up at the girl. Then suddenly, she grabbed the younger girl's hand and ran in a random direction. This surprised both Maki and the people around them.

The fangirls seemed to part like the red sea as Nico tried to make her way out of the crowd, her grip on Maki never loosening. She heard muffled complaints, asking her what she was doing, where she was going, but ignored them.

Eventually, she made it out of the crowd, but kept on running anyways. They needed a place to talk. Privately. She needed answers and Maki surrounded by adoring fans wasn't helping.

Now that she thought about it, why were there so many girls surrounding Maki? It wasn't like they were still school idols. Sure, the former pop sensations were occasionally recognized by a dedicated fan, but μ had lost its mainstream popularity a long time ago.

Before she had any more time to think about it though, she felt her arm suddenly be tugged behind her, stopping her in her tracks.

Maki had somehow managed to keep her feet planted to the ground and prevented the petite girl from dragging her around any further. Now they were somewhere inside the university. Nico wasn't really sure where exactly though, since she had been running without thinking about any destination in particular.

"What do you want?"

Nico flinched a bit. The red-haired girl's voice, while still melodious and pleasant to the ear, was hard and emotionless, her face mirroring the tone. Nico sighed dramatically, trying to brush off the slight hurt she felt from being addressed so coldly. Yes it had been three years, but that didn't mean they were strangers.

"Sheesh. From the way you say it, you make it sound like I kidnapped you or something." Nico commented, hoping to lighten the tension in the air. However, her mission was a failure as it seemed the other girl's eyes only narrowed further and hardened more than it was before, now glaring at her intensely.

 _'If that's even possible.'_ Nico sourly thought.

Silence filled the air for several awkward moments before a voice called out. A very loud and recognizable voice.

"Nico-chan!" The girl in question looked behind Maki, only to see Rin running towards them, with the others a bit behind her. But Maki didn't turn around. She just kept looking forward.

Soon enough, the energetic girl was right behind the two. She looked relieved. Then started going on a mini rant of questions.

"Nico-chan! What happened? You just ran right into the crowd of girls without saying anything-nya! We saw you run out with some other person! Who was she..."

Rin trailed off as she noticed the other person with them. A certain missing red haired woman whom Rin had never thought but always hoped she'd see again. It was around this moment that the rest of the group had arrived.

Hanayo, upon arrival, immediately noticed something wrong with her best friend. She was too quiet. It wasn't only her that noticed. Everyone else couldn't help but notice the normally loud girl being abnormally silent, frozen in a state of shock.

"Rin-chan, what's wrong?" Hanayo asked, but got no answer. Rin just kept staring at the girl in front of her who had her backs turned to all of them.

Hanayo followed her friend's gaze, only to have the same shocked expression on her face. Eli and Nozomi, a bit behind the two, had also wondered what Rin was looking at. Once they realized who it was the younger girls were seeing, the two were gaping at the person in front of them. Honoka, Umi, and Kotori ended up in similar states of shock and surprise once they noticed the girl as well. Even with her back turned, that red hair was unmistakable.

Yet as Nico looked at all the girls' expressions, she noticed that Kotori's expression seemed more guilty than shocked, but maybe she was just reading into it too much.

Nico then heard the shy rice-loving Hanayo speak.

"Maki-chan..."

* * *

"Maki-chan...it is you right?" Hanayo gently called out to the girl who still had her back turned to them. She couldn't believe her eyes. She was back.

Ever since Maki had gone away during their third year of high school, Hanayo had always felt like it was somewhat her fault. The only person she's ever told this to was her best friend Rin. After all, the two felt the same way.

They both had noticed how they had become distanced from Maki as time went by, but neither did anything. Looking back now, Hanayo sometimes wondered if just one 'hi' could've made all the difference. If she had just taken the time to just talk to the girl, would they be where they are now.

She watched the Maki slowly turned around to face them all. As she got a good look at her long lost friend, Hanayo realized _'She's changed.'_ Maybe it was the way that her hair was longer or that she seemed to be the taller than most of them. _'No, that's not it.'_ It was the way the woman held herself. There was just something about the air around Maki that felt different. It was less...welcoming than what she remembered. Maki, while always being a tsundere, had never been so cold towards her before. To be honest, it somewhat frightened her.

"Maki-chan?" Hanayo called once again. Hair covering her eyes, Maki refused to make eye contact with any of them.

A tense silence filled the air. No one said a word. They didn't know what to say. What do you say to a friend who disappeared on you for over year? It stayed silent for a good few minutes, tension continuously building up around them.

Honoka looked torn between wanting to say something, but not knowing what to say. Umi, normally calm and composed, was gaping, still processing the sight in front of her. Kotori kept nervously glancing Maki, then to the others around her, unsure of what to do. Eli and Nozomi were also wondering what to say, as they exchanged looks, hoping the other would have an idea.

Even Nico was unusually quiet. If anything, Hanayo expected Nico to have the most questions for the formerly missing person in front of them.

Suddenly, Hanayo winced as Rin let out a loud shout.

"NYAAAAHHH! I can't take it anymore!" The cat-like girl never had been good under these types of situations. Rin looked straight at Maki, who still refused to look anyone in the eye. "Maki-chan! Where have you been?! We were all worried! You left without even saying anything to any of us! What happened?! Why won't you LOOK AT US?!" Rin got louder and louder as she ranted. All the questions that had been on all their minds had just slipped out her mouth. Hanayo couldn't help but notice the lack of nyas in her friend's speech.

They all waited for an answer, but Maki just kept silent. This seemed to have irritated Rin and the tense atmosphere was really bothering her.

"Maki-chan!" Rin yelled.

She would've missed it if she blinked, but Hanayo saw the silent girl visibly flinch, her face showing emotion for just a second, before quickly going back to the emotionless mask it was before. In that moment, Hanayo also saw the girl's eyes.

Maki's eyes had always had a sense of loneliness to them. Growing up to be the heir to the Nishikino Hospital, it was bound to isolate her from her peers. But even so, Hanayo could never recall a time those violet eyes have ever looked so empty. It almost felt like a void. It goes on and on forever, but there's absolutely nothing inside but darkness. There was no longer that warmness nor happiness Hanayo remembered. In fact, there was nothing.

 _'Why do they look so hurt? Maki-chan, what happened?'_ Hanayo worried as she watched Rin and Maki glare at each other. Well, it was more like Rin doing all the glaring and Maki avoiding the gaze.

However, Rin's stare wavered when she felt a hand place itself on her shoulder. She turned to see Eli and Nozomi. It seemed it was now time for the older girls to step in.

"Maki."

Eli's voice was stern and even somewhat demanding. Hanayo watched as the older girl take Rin's place, Nozomi following right behind her.

* * *

Eli stood in front of Maki. Taking a good look at her, Eli could see that she's changed. Her hair was longer, her facial features more defined, and she was even taller than herself. Yes, Maki Nishikino had grown into a beautiful woman in the year they didn't see her. Beautiful and intimidating

The vibe Maki gave off definitely wasn't a positive one. It was cold and unhappy. Eli felt herself waver a bit when she felt a supporting hand on her back.

"Eli-chi."

Eli inwardly smiled a little. Thank god for Nozomi. Always there for her in moments of need like these.

Resolve rediscovered, Eli was going to question the silent girl. They needed answers. They needed some sort of closure to the questions that plagued their minds for more than a year.

At least, that's what she was planning on doing before she took a good look at the girl; at her eyes. Looking up at younger girl, Eli made eye contact with her for the first time in a bit over a year. What she saw though wasn't what she was expecting.

They were begging her, pleading her not to ask anything. Even though Maki's face stayed neutral and she hid her eyes from all of the girls behind the blond, Eli saw the strangest thing in those amethyst eyes. A reflection of her old self. There were other emotions about, like pain and sorrow. There was also this sense of emptiness. However, what she mostly saw in Maki's dark violet eyes were all these conflicting emotions clashing against each other. Keeping everything inside and letting none of it out. It all reminded former high school student president of herself before μ.

The words suddenly seemed stuck in her throat as Eli just continued to stare into the other girl's eyes for what seemed to be an eternity. She was entranced by the strange beauty of the sadness that swirled around in other girl's eyes. She watched as the eyes never wavered from her own, silently bracing itself for the questions that were to come. But then, the ringing of bells could be heard, signalling to all that it was the start of a new hour. This seemed to snap both Eli and Maki out of their reverie.

"I have to go." Maki quickly muttered, breaking her gaze away from Eli before escaping from all of the other former school idols. Walking past the blond, Eli saw Maki give her one short glance before rushing past all of the girls.

"Maki-chan!" Eli heard Honoka call out. However, she was still registering everything that had just happened. She couldn't help but be mesmerized by those eyes. It almost felt like they were haunting her, even after looking away.

"Eli-chi? Are you okay?" Nozomi asked in a worried tone, snapping the quarter Russian out of her daze.

"I'm fine. Just surprised at all that's just happened."

Nozomi seemed reluctant to accept such a reason, knowing their was another cause for her friend's sudden hesitance in questioning Maki, but said nothing. It has been a long day after all. They all needed some time to understand what had just happened.

 _'And the day had started out so peacefully, too'_


	4. Chapter 3 - The Little Bird

**Hey everyone! This chapter is probably one of my favourite so far, which I guess isn't saying much since there's only like three including this one. Either way, I hope you all have the same interest reading the story as I do writing it. It does explain a few things, but not everything. Not just yet.**

 **The final pairings are still undecided, but I do have a good plot in mind involving the more...unique pairings. So please be patient if a pairing you don't like shows up because I can't make any guarantees that it's going to be how it ends. I've said this before, but I may end up taking a vote for the ending, but once again, that's still uncertain.**

 **I also wanted to say to all those who have continued to follow the story and reviewed that I'm so happy that people are interested and thank you for all the support. I hope I don't disappoint and if anyone has any advice, I'd be glad to get some.**

 **This story is completely from Kotori's perspective so it should answer some questions for those who noticed the small hints I left in the last chapter. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Kotori felt extremely guilty after the other μ group members confronted Maki. She genuinely didn't expect the woman to be at the university, but she couldn't help but feel like she could've helped prevent what happened in some way. After all, she had a secret that not even Umi nor Honoka knew about.

Kotori sighed, as she walked down the streets of her neighbourhood. Her university classes had ended and the sun was already starting to set. While going to deliver something, as she does everyday, she couldn't help but wonder about everything that had happened to her in the past few months.

 _'When did everything get so complicated?'_

It was late evening by the time Kotori reached her destination. She took a deep breath before she walked into the lobby of an expensive fifty stories apartment building. She always felt a little out of place when she came here. Everything was so high-class and fancy. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem, but she hated the way it always felt everyone was staring at her like she didn't belong there.

Quickly making her way into the elevators, she pushed the button for the 48th floor. She waited patiently by herself until she heard a 'ding'. Getting out, she headed towards room 4807 and she gently knocked three times.

"Who's there?" A voice called out from the inside.

"It's me. It's Kotori."

She heard a pair of footsteps get louder as they reached the door. Then there was the sound of it unlocking before being opened, slowly, revealing the one and only Maki Nishikino.

Kotori lifted the package in her arms, showing the other what it was she brought.

"It's curry. I figured that you probably skipped dinner as you usually do." The little bird explained. "Can I come in?"

Kotori saw Maki slightly nod as she moved out of the doorway, allowing her inside the apartment. She walked in and took of her shoes off at the front.

While walking down the hallway to the living room, she could see the mess the house was. Papers and books spread out on the floors, dust gathered in several different places, and clothes everywhere. Kotori couldn't help but notice how some of the clothes were too little for Maki to actually belong to her.

"How is it your place is always a mess. I helped clean it just the other day."

Maki just looked away a bit sheepishly.

"I was...busy."

Kotori just sighed. "Maki-chan, you have to take better care of yourself. You barely sleep and if we didn't always make dinner for you, you probably would've skipped eating...again."

Maki said nothing as reached the main room. Kotori sighed once again and walked to the kitchen as Maki went into another room, most likely to continue studying.

This routine had been going on for a few months now. Ever since she found out her mom was dating another woman, who just happened to be a certain redhead's mother, Kotori's life seemed to take a strange turn. It was also then that she learned of what happened to the missing member of μ.

Kotori thought back to when her mother and her girlfriend told the gray-haired woman how Maki was now living on her own not too far from them. Apparently, there wasn't much the two could tell her that Kotori hadn't already known or figured. At least, nothing they were willing to tell her.

* * *

 _"Kotori, I know this may come as a surprise, but I want you to meet my girlfriend."_

 _Well, that was definitely a surprise. She knew her mother had been extremely happy as of late, but the little bird never thought it was because her mother was dating someone, let alone another woman. However, she wasn't one to judge._

 _"Of course! I'm so happy for you, mom!"_

 _However, Kotori was surprised for the second time that day when she found out that not only is her mother dating another woman, but that woman just happened to be the mother of her 'missing' friend. She was definitely shocked for a couple moments before a thought suddenly occurred to her._

 _'They can tell me what happened to Maki-chan!'_

 _She had several questions about the said missing friend. Maki had been gone for about a year and she couldn't help but be worried, just like the rest of the former school idol group. Now she got the chance to find out._

 _Yet when she asked, the atmosphere dropped a couple degrees and the two women glanced at each other before looking at the younger woman grimly._

 _"Kotori, it's a long story and we don't really know all the details either. We'll tell you what we can, but you sure you want to hear?" Her mother asked her. Kotori just nodded. She had to know._

 _So the two women told as much of the story they knew._

 _When the couple had finished telling Kotori about Maki, Kotori was too shocked to say anything. Her mother hadn't really told her much, but it was enough to get a general idea of what happened._

 _She was feeling a mix of emotions. Sadness, sympathy, anger, disgust, shock, frustration and several other feelings swirled around her head.'Why Maki? Why did the world have to be so unfair?' Kotori thought sadly. 'We should've been there for her...'_

 _Lost in her own train of thought, Kotori was surprised when she felt a pair of hands hold her own. 'How warm.' she unconsciously thought as she came back to reality._

 _Maki's mother was looking straight at her, a sad yet determined look on her face with a small smile._

 _"I know I haven't acted like it much recently, but I do still love Maki. If you can, won't you help her? Or at least, tell her that we want to help her."_

 _Kotori didn't say anything. She just slightly nodded. Even without the words though, the red haired woman seemed to get the message after she saw the younger woman's face._

 _Before she left, the two older women gave Kotori an address. Apparently, Maki had moved back to the neighbourhood and was now staying in an apartment building not too far away. It wasn't long after that that the gray-haired woman found herself at the front door of the rich apartment, already ringing the doorbell._

 _She wasn't sure exactly what she was going to say or do, but Kotori just had to see the former composer for μ. As she waited for a response, several different scenarios and possibilities ran through her head of what could happen in the next few minutes, most of them worst case scenarios._

 _Finally, after a minute or so, the door opened. What she saw though was definitely what she was expecting._

 _It was definitely Maki Nishikino standing in front of her, yet it wasn't the Maki Nishikino Kotori knew. She was taller than what Kotori remembered. Her hair, while longer, was somewhat messed, clothes ruffled and from what she could see, the inside was a mess, too. It looked like she had just been in a fight. And those eyes. The Maki she had known, while tending to be dishonest with her feelings, had always had warm eyes. This Maki though, her eyes looked dead. Cold and empty. As those eyes stared at her own, she watched them widen in shock. But as soon as the ash-brunette found enough courage to speak, another voice interrupted. For some reason though, it seemed oddly familiar to her._

 _"Nishikino-san? Hurry back won't you? It's so cold in the bed without you."_

 _Kotori felt the blood rush to her cheeks and looked down as she started to realize what it was she had just intruded on. 'That explains a lot.' She thought as she once again looked over the redhead's appearance. 'Since when was Maki so bold?'_

 _She saw the woman in front of her run a hand through her crimson hair with her eyes closed and narrowed before replying._

 _"I'll be there in a bit, just let me quickly deal with this!"_

 _After waiting for a reply and getting none, Maki turned back to the still blushing woman. There were a few moments of awkwardness before Maki let out a sigh._

 _"I don't really know how you found me, but if you need something, come back tomorrow at noon. As you can tell, now's really not the best time." She told Kotori. All Kotori could do was sheepishly nod. Then she sprinted back towards the elevators and went home, flustered and even more confused._

* * *

 _As promised though, Kotori did come back the next day. This time, the woman from before was no longer present. Kotori considered asking about Maki about it, but decided against that._

 _Once Maki had let her inside the luxurious apartment, Maki had led her to the sofas in the living room and the two had started talking. At first it was simple things. The weather, university, different classes they take, their interests. When Kotori learned that Maki was aiming to become a neurosurgeon, she was a bit relieved. 'It's nice to know not everything has changed.' the ash-brown haired woman thought._

 _Maki was still aiming to take over the Nishikino hospital it seemed. Yet as Kotori kept listening, she realized that Maki was much less enthusiastic about it than when she was in high school. Somehow managing a double major in biochemistry and human anatomy, Maki was at the top of her year at her university._

 _"That's incredible Maki-chan!"_

 _"Not really."_

 _Kotori's happy demeanor faltered a bit. 'If this was the old Maki, she would have blushed and told us that was obvious.'_

 _However, not one to be easily discouraged, Kotori kept the conversation going, until she finally brought up the big question._

 _"Maki-chan, what happened one year ago? Why did you leave?" She asked quietly._

 _The redhead's eyes hardened at that, but Kotori could see the small spark of hurt that flickered in those nearly emotionless eyes._

 _"It's nothing you need to know." Cold and to the point._

 _"Yes, it is! When one of my friends disappear for over a year without saying a word to anyone, it becomes my business!"_

 _Maki said nothing in response this time. So Kotori kept going._

 _"We were all so worried for you. Me, Honoka-chan, Hanayo-chan and Rin-chan, Nozomi-chan - "_

 _"Stop."_

 _The little bird did so as Maki interrupted her. She saw the younger woman's face placed between her knees, her hands over her ears._

 _"Why, Maki-chan?"_

 _"I...I'm sorry, but I can't tell you."_

 _"Maki-chan!"_

 _It went on like this for a good hour. Kotori would insist on knowing, Maki would refuse, Kotori would continue to insist, and so on. Finally though, Kotori seemed to have made a chip in Maki's frozen armor._

 _"Maki-chan, what are so afraid of? I promise, I won't hurt you, so please...trust me."_

 _That seemed to do the trick as Maki wavered. Kotori looked at her straight in the eyes. She could see the confusion, the want to trust and the fear of being hurt battling each other. Finally though, one of them threw in the towel._

 _"Fine, I'll tell you." Kotori smiled in relief._

 _"I'll tell you, but you have to promise to keep it a secret. You can't tell this anybody." Maki told her. "Please..."_

 _Kotori couldn't help but hear the slight desperation in the other girl's voice and reluctantly agreed. Little did she understand the phrase 'ignorance is a bliss' until then._

 _So the story began and Kotori became the only person to actually know the complete and full story of Maki Nishikino's disappearance._

* * *

Since then, Kotori had been taking care of the red head in any way she could. Cleaning, cooking, laundry, and so on. The apartment had basically became her second home with the amount of time she spent there. It's funny. She truly was a maid at heart, wasn't she?

She had also kept her promise. She had said nothing about anything she was told of that day. Not even to her two childhood friends. She was tempted to several times, but Maki's trust was a rare thing to have and she wasn't going to risk breaking it. Especially not after what the girl had already been through. A promise is a promise after all.

"Maki-chan! Dinner's ready!" Kotori called as she set down the plate at the dining table. She sat down in the seat across where she set the dish and watched Maki come out of her room. Maki sat down in front of the prepared meal and got ready to eat.

"Thanks for the meal." Maki mumbled before taking a bite of the curry.

"How is it?"

"Mmm...really good." Maki let out before realizing what she just said. This caused her to blush and look down while taking another bite.

"Why, thank you." Kotori grinned somewhat teasingly. It was the rare moments like these that Kotori saw the old Maki from their high school days.

"So Maki-chan, what were you doing at the university?" Kotori saw the girl freeze mid-bite, before putting the spoon down. She knew she could've stated the question more tactfully, but it was bound to come up eventually.

"I'm going to sign up for classes. I attend there now."

That surprised the third year university student.

"Since when?"

"Today. I didn't know that everyone else was attending there, too. Your mother just recommended it to me." Maki responded before bitterly adding, "Now I know why."

Kotori awkwardly chuckled.

"Well you were going to have to talk to them eventually. They were all worried. You did technically disappear for over a year without saying anything to anyone." Kotori tried to reason, knowing how her friends were feeling. After all, she was exactly the same way just a few months ago. She also felt a bit guilty for her mother's actions.

Maki looked down at the curry. "I know. I know that, but..." Maki left the sentence unfinished as she just took another bite of Kotori's cooking. Apparently, that was also the last bite.

"Maki-chan..."

"It's fine Kotori. I've managed this far, haven't I?" Maki smiled at Kotori, hoping to ease the older girl's worry. However, Kotori could see that her happy expression didn't reach the girl's eyes.

"Anyways, I have to go in a bit."

Kotori frowned at that. She hated this part of their routine. After the first few times Kotori had came over to help out, she realized that Maki was no longer as innocent as she used to be and that the woman who had been Maki when Kotori first came over was not a one time thing. At least once a week, after eating the meal, she would always go to 'meet' some girl. However, the older girl knew that by 'meet', Maki actually meant sleep with. It had become a bad habit of hers. At this point, Kotori had to wonder exactly how long Maki's string of one-night stands actually was.

"Who are you going to 'meet' this time?"

Maki kept silent and the gray-haired girl just sighed. That meant it was someone she knew this time.

"At least tell me if you're gonna stay over or if you're going to be coming home late. It's not safe to be alone at night."

Maki decided to do that much for her friend.

"It'll be later than usual, but I'll be coming home eventually."

"Do you want me to wait for you then?"

"It's fine."

The little bird looked worriedly at Maki, before nodding.

"Ok. I'll see you tomorrow? After all, we even go to the same university now."

Maki nodded.

"I should get going then."

Kotori pushed herself up from her seat. Maki followed and the two walked back to the front door.

"Bye, Maki-chan."

Kotori started walking to the elevator, which happened to have already be at their floor. However, just before she got in, she heard her name being called.

"Kotori!"

She turned to see the red haired girl.

"Thank you. For a lot of things."

The ash-brown haired woman smiled softly before waving goodbye. Maki waved back as she watched the elevator doors close and her friend go. She then turned around to go back inside her house.

"Now, time to get ready."


	5. Chapter 4 - A Typical Night

**Okay, so I know it's been a while and I am so sorry! It's just everything has been so hectic for me lately, but I'm not here to make excuses.**

 **So let me start by saying this, remember this is a M-rated fanfic. There is a reason for this, which shows in this chapter. I'm not really sure how good it is, and honestly, I can't say it's something I'm proud of (in terms of writing, not content), but hey. For those who want to skip this chapter because of this or just are dissatisfied with the scene (trust me, I won't get offended if you are), I'll leave a sparknotes version of what happens at the end. That way, you can skip to the next chapter when it comes out and continue on with the story. I hope you continue to read my story despite this one and perhaps future chapters that aren't the best**

 **Another thing is that I finally have some idea of what pairings I'm planning to have, but I will be keeping this a secret for two reasons. One is because I want the people reading this story to constantly be guessing, having their own spin on how it might end, and perhaps even surprise them in the end. The other is because nothing is quite set in stone yet, so I don't want to keep changing everything. Thanks to all of those who understand and still stick with me.**

 **All of your support and reviews have made me very happy and eager to continue writing this story. I have to be honest though, this chapter isn't exactly my best work, like I may have mentioned or at least insinuated above, so please bear with me. Please, if you have any advice, I'm more than willing to take it**

* * *

Chapter 4

A Typical Night

As she rode her motorcycle on the night streets of Akihabara, Maki wondered what exactly it was she was doing with her life. This wasn't an uncommon thing for her. Even before she had gone 'missing' (apparently that's what everyone called it according to Kotori), Maki had sometimes wondered about what purpose her life truly had.

As the one and only heir to the Nishikino hospital, Maki had always been taught that she was to inherit her parents' legacy. It was her 'destiny', her raison d'être. She never complained, after all, what's wrong with being a doctor. Yet sometimes, Maki would think about the other possibilities around her, like being a musician or pianist. With her skills, it was definitely an option.

Maybe it was thoughts like these that the world had decided to mess up and ruin her peaceful life. Nothing could have prepared her for all that happened in the past year or so. If someone had told her this was how her life was going to turn out, she might've actually laughed out loud. Yet here she was, suffering all the consequences of something that she never had any say in.

Maki quickly shook her head, trying to stop her train of thought. Thinking about the past wasn't going to fix anything. Just bring back things better left forgotten.

Maybe it was because she had been so lost in her thoughts, but Maki found herself right in front of her destination in a matter of minutes. The place was a small apartment building, only about ten stories tall.

After parking her bike in a free space, she made her way inside to the lobby. A scruffy looking man at the counter didn't even spare her a glance as she walked right on by. He was obviously the concierge, but he didn't say anything to Maki as she made her way to the elevators. After all, this was about what, the tenth time he had seen her here.

It wasn't long before Maki found herself at the top of the building, facing a door that led to a complete VIP suite that took up the entire floor, built on request. Normally, it would be impossible to get in without permission, but Maki just opened the door like it was her own home and walked in.

"You know, you could knock."

The crimson haired woman turned to see who it was that spoke.

"Would it really matter? You were the one who left the door open for me."

The other woman just smirked. "Touché"

It fell silent for a couple moments, before Maki made her way to one of the leather sofas in the living room and the other followed.

"So why'd you call me here Yuuki?" Maki asked in an irritated tone, sitting down.

Anju Yuuki just smiled as she twirled her auburn hair with one of her fingers.

"Don't be so cold." she leaned, still standing, over Maki. "You should know already, right?"

Maki just glared.

"Last time I checked, you had a girlfriend, didn't you? Doesn't sleeping with a one night stand of yours count as cheating?"

Despite what she was saying, Maki pulled Anju closer to her, making the other woman lose her balance and end up sitting in Maki's lap.

"Doesn't really count as a one night stand if it's happened more than once." Anju answered huskily, moving her face closer to the woman across from her. "Besides, this relationship has been going on longer than me and Erena, so does it still really count?"

Maki managed to say, "I'm pretty sure it does." before her lips met the other girl's own.

Yes, she was sleeping with Anju Yuuki on top of many other girls. Something Kotori was very displeased with, Maki knew. Didn't mean she was going to stop any time soon. Besides, it wasn't never really her who asked for it. It was the other women around her who pushed themselves onto her. Who was she to resist. Whatever consequences their actions had wasn't her concern. Anju Yuuki was just one of these many girls who forced themselves onto Maki.

It had all started maybe a couple months ago, when Maki had somehow ended up Anju's 'girlfriend' to shoo away some fans who wouldn't leave her alone.

* * *

 _It was late evening and Maki had been wandering the streets of a distant city. It's been like this for the past month, ever since she moved here. Then at night, she would usually just go to a local bar, never actually ordering a drink, yet almost always going out with a woman on her arm._

 _It had been an impulse decision, but she just had to get away from her old home, distance herself from her old life, and forget who she used to be. She couldn't help but wonder what her old friends would've thought about her now. Broken and cold. She wondered what the person she used to be would've thought of her._

 _'_ _Who I used to be, who I wanted to be, who I'll never be.' Maki thought bitterly in her stroll._

 _In her own world, Maki never noticed a certain celebrity make her way towards her until said celebrity latched onto her arm._

 _Surprised by the sudden contact, Maki saw a woman grabbing her arm, the woman not even facing her. She looked oddly familiar, yet Maki couldn't exactly figure out from where._

 _"_ _Get o–" Maki was about to say while glaring when she was interrupted._

 _"_ _I'm sorry, but this person is my girlfriend."_

 _Maki blanched._

 _"_ _What?"_

 _Her own question was synchronized with those of the two older and obese men dressed in tight anime shirts and shorts who she just noticed. However, the auburn woman continued on like none of the three said anything._

 _"_ _I know this is a surprise and all, but this is the person I am in love with. That's why I can't go out with either of you. I'm sorry." the woman said, looking up at Maki with a large smile._

 _Now Maki was faced with two options. Go along with what this crazy woman was saying or ignore everything that has been going and go on doing what she was doing. Now obviously, this woman was trying to avoid these two men without causing any serious trouble, but did she really have to choose Maki of all people?_

 _Suddenly, Maki thought back to a time she would rather forget. She looked at the woman still grabbing her arm when she felt something. There was a slight tremble in the woman's hands._

 _Maki let a small inaudible sigh. She just knew she was going to regret this._

 _Maki extended the arm that wasn't being grabbed onto over the woman's shoulder, putting herself in a protective stance. The other woman seemed surprised by this action, but quickly hid it by snuggling herself into the embrace. She wasn't sure if the woman noticed, but Maki couldn't help but flinch a bit at the close contact. However, she ignored it and turned to glare at the two (obviously) otaku men._

 _This sent them stumbling a couple steps back._

 _"_ _We're sorry, we didn't know." One said quietly, afraid of Maki._

 _"_ _We'll be leaving now then." The other said dejectedly._

 _So the two men left, leaving only Maki and the other woman, still clinging on her arm._

 _"_ _Get off of me. Now." Maki growled out._

 _"_ _You're so cold Nishikino-san" The other woman responded in a more playful tone in contrast to Maki's cold one._

 _The crimson woman's eyes narrowed at that._

 _"_ _How do you know me?" She asked suspiciously. The whole point of moving to this place was to get away from people that knew her._

 _"_ _Ehh? You don't remember me?" the woman said, pouting._

 _Maki just glared, making the woman flinch a bit._

 _"_ _And here I thought we were supposed to be famous." The woman grumbled out before answering. "It's me, Anju Yuuki. Remember, from A-RISE?"_

 _Maki's eyes widened. Of course she remembered. However, her harsh expression didn't let up._

 _"_ _I see." Maki then turned to leave, but was stopped by an arm grabbing her sleeve._

 _Turning around irritated, Maki scowled._

 _"_ _What do you want?" She let out a bit more angrily this time. Despite this, Anju had a smile._

 _"_ _Well you are my 'girlfriend'," Anju said, making quotation mark gestures with her fingers. "the least you can do is walk me back to my hotel."_

 _Maki just continued to look at her angrily._

 _"_ _And maybe, you could stay over?" the auburn haired woman suggested so innocently that Maki knew that what she was insinuating was anything but._

* * *

After that, one thing had led to another and Anju had become one of her many one-night stands. Well several night stands was more accurate, but those were just the details. Even after Anju had gotten a real girlfriend, her fellow idol group member, Erena Toudou, Anju had continued to call Maki every once in a while, asking her to 'come over'.

It wasn't until later in the week after she had first slept with Anju that Maki had learned that Anju was still in the entertainment industry. Now that Maki thought about it, she wasn't even quite sure how Anju had managed to get her number. It had been unexpected but it was about two weeks later that Maki had received a text from Anju, asking her to 'come over' again.

Along with her fellow A-RISE members from their school idol group, Tsubasa Kira, Erena Toudou, and Anju had continued to be actual idols. They had been an instant hit, with the help from their fans from when they were school idols. Apparently, Anju was the innocent princess type. Sweet and pure. Always smiling and nice to everyone, not to be tainted.

 _'_ _I'm not really sure how accurate that really is, though.'_ Maki thought as she slid her tongue into Anju's mouth, hearing a low moan as a result. Anju was now lying down on the sofa they had been previously making out on with Maki on top.

Anju had one of her arms around Maki's neck as the other started to ruffle Maki's crimson hair, pulling it out of its one-sided low ponytail. Maki's own hand was roaming Anju's body as the other kept her up.

Maki moved her hands from Anju's waist, slowly up the sides of her stomach, before unbuttoning her shirt from the bottom up. Maki felt Anju slightly shiver when she took off the lacy bra the woman had been wearing, letting her hands explore the idol's body once more. This only served to make Maki deepen the kiss even further, completely dominating the other as their tongues danced to Maki's own melody.

Anju broke off the kiss let out a sharp gasp when she felt two fingers pinch at her nipples gently. Maki took this chance to move her mouth onto the auburn woman's other breast, at first gently flicking her tongue at the sensitive part of her breast before full on sucking it.

"Ah~! Nishikino-san~!" Anju moaned out.

Maki just let out a low primal growl as she continued to play with Anju's breasts, sucking on one and teasing the other with her hand, never quite touching where it's most sensitive.

"Please…" Anju managed to gasp out between breaths. "Stop…teasing me."

Maki let up on her ministrations, leaning up to say something into Anju's ear.

"Then tell me what you want, and I shall grant your wish." Maki quietly whispered as she continued to massage Anju's breast with one of her hands.

"I want you." The auburn haired woman said before letting out a loud moan as Maki pinched her nipple.

"You have to be more specific than that."

This time, Anju was unable to say it one breath as Maki continued to tease. Lightly pulling and twisting at the tip.

"I…want you…in me…" She managed to get out. "Please…" she added, desperate for Maki's touch.

"As you command," Maki let out a smirk " _princess._ "

At that the crimson haired woman suddenly smashed her lips onto Anju's, sliding her tongue in without waiting for permission, as her hands moved from Anju's breasts to downwards.

They slid down her stomach to over waist, slowly pulling at the skirt until they were completely off. She then continued to snake her hands further down, gently rubbing through the thin underwear that was left.

Anju let out a low groan and gasped for air as Maki continued to tease, before finally sliding her fingers underneath. Maki then slid her face down to Anju's ample breasts, sucking at the nipple furiously, no longer caring about being gentle. With her hands, she continuously flicked at the small bean, making Anju let out a squeal of pleasure.

"Nishikino…san!" Anju yelled as she tightened the grip around the other's neck, slightly writhing from the intense feeling of euphoria overwhelming her.

Finally, Maki slid two fingers into Anju's now soaking pussy, feeling the soft walls squeeze against her digits.

"Ah!"

Maki slowly started two then thrust her fingers in and out, creating an uneven rhythm, constantly speeding up then slowing down.

"Nishikino-san!" Anju screamed out as she felt something stir up her insides, drowning her in ecstasy. "I'm…I'm about to cum!"

Maki said nothing, but took it as her cue to increase the tempo, pushing her fingers in and out faster than before. Listening the Anju's voice get louder and louder as the other reached the climax and feeling the walls of Anju's pussy get tighter, Maki knew it was only a matter of time.

Anju let out a loud scream of satisfaction as Maki felt her cum against the fingers inside her.

Slowly, Maki pulled out her hand out and started to get off from on top of Anju. The other girl had one of her arms on top of her hands, taking several breaths to take in as much air as she could, still lying on the sofa they had just did it on.

"Are you happy now?" Maki asked, showing no sign of fatigue.

Anju began to get up herself, reaching for the button-up shirt Maki had thrown off during their little session. Smiling, but saying nothing, she covered herself with the shirt and turned to Maki.

"…"

After a couple moments of silence, Maki just turned to make her way out of the apartment.

"Nishikino-san"

Maki stopped, but didn't look back.

"I'll call you again soon."

Not giving any indication of hearing what Anju just said, Maki continued to leave.

This was how it was always was. Short banter at the beginning, the sex, and then she would just leave. There was no cuddling or talking about their lives. This was a purely physical relationship. Talking would only get in the way of that. Occasionally, Maki would stay over if it's too late, but even then, they wouldn't say anything. Not even a light casual conversation about the weather. That's just the way it was with anyone who has ever slept with Maki Nishikino.

On her way out, Maki passed by the concierge at the front, not saying anything, but leaving a fifty dollar bill on the counter. After all, Anju was still a celebrity and rumours were the last thing Maki wanted. She didn't need the attention. The man didn't say anything. Simply grabbed the money and shoved it in his pocket as he watched the crimson haired woman he didn't know the name of walk out.

Maki got on her motorbike, quickly taking out her phone to check for the time.

 _'_ _It's only eleven?'_ Maki thought when the phone started to ring in her hands.

She looked at the caller ID. Erena Toudou. Anju's girlfriend. The one Anju was cheating on. Another one of Maki's many one-night stands that had gone on for longer than planned.

Dragging her finger along the green button on the screen, Maki answered the call, but said nothing.

A few seconds passed, before Maki answered.

"Yeah, I'll be there in a bit."

Another moment of silence.

"Alright, I got it."

Maki looked at the screen, checking if Erena had ended the call. After making sure that she did, Maki sighed. Looks like she might not be able to be able to go back home after all.

 _'_ _Let's just hope Kotori doesn't find out. She would kill me if she learned I didn't.'_ Maki thought as she dashed through the streets on her motorbike, heading to the home of one Erena Toudou.

This was a typical night in the life of Maki Nishikino.

* * *

 **So here is the short version of what happens in this story for all of those who want to skip the M-rated parts or just aren't interested in reading the whole thing.**

 **Maki contemplates her life and how much it has changed since a certain incident while riding her (bad-ass (because I said so)) motorcycle to a mystery person's house.**

 **Said mystery person turns out to be Anju Yuuki from A-RISE. Maki met with Anju while she was still 'missing' when Anju pretended Maki was her girlfriend to scare away two of her fans who were following her around. This led to Anju offering Maki to go back to her hotel and the two had sex.**

 **Maki then also learns that Anju, Erena, and Tsubasa are still in the idol business and are now professionals in the entertainment industry.**

 **After the first time, Anju continued to call Maki over and the two kept a physical relationship. Despite Anju always calling Maki over, Anju also has a girlfriend who doesn't know about Anju sleeping with Maki. Said girlfriend is Erena Toudou, a fellow A-RISE idol group member.**

 **Maki and Anju has sex with Maki on top at all times.**

 **After going at it, Maki leaves without really saying anything and Anju just says she'll call again soon.**

 **Maki leaves the apartment, but leaves a 'tip' for the front counter guy in every apartment because she doesn't want any rumours spreading about her sleeping with a celebrity.**

 **It's not really that late (in Maki's opinion) yet, so she's about to go back home when she gets a call.**

 **It's Erena Toudou, Anju's girlfriend. Erena calls Maki over for reasons that should be pretty obvious by now. Maki says she'll be over there in a bit and then Erena hangs up.**

 **Maki just sighs and hopes Kotori doesn't find out that she probably wasn't going to be back home that night.**

 **Thus concludes the chapter span style="text-decoration: underline;"A Typical Night/span (in the life of Maki Nishikino).**


End file.
